This matter, I believe, will become clear only after the actual launch. Of course, the people in position of power can (and probably will) determine the law, clarifying the use of common resources.
However, one can expect, that some players won't abide by th rules, in which case there will be a clash between the egoists and the rest of community. The result is impossible to determine as it relies on too many factors.
One must remember that, regardless how complex, COE is still a game. Certain elements will be simplified, at least at the beginning.
Which means that, for example, if resources like trees are implemented like nodes in other MMO and replenish quickly, there will be no reason to regulate them in the first place.